How Technological Advancements and Digitalization Impact Both Organizational Behavior and Work Structures
- Organizations are in a constant state of flux, making transformations an inevitable aspect of their evolution and adaptation (By, 2005; Kotter, 1995). Transformations in organizations take many forms. These include sustainability transformations intended to make organizations more sustainable and fit for the future (Bansal, 2005; Corbett & Mellouli, 2017; Kim et al., 2017; Robertson & Barling, 2013). Additionally, transformations can affect day-to-day work and impact working practices (Orlikowski, 2002; Watson-Manheim et al., 2002, 2012). On the one hand, this enables more flexible working conditions through the introduction of hybrid work, for instance (Halford, 2005). On the other hand, new digital transformations, such as platform work (Deng et al., 2016; Deng & Joshi, 2016; Kittur et al., 2013; Kost et al., 2018), allow organizations to outsource work. Platform work allows users to work completely flexibly and organize their working day according to their needs (Deng et al., 2016; Deng & Joshi, 2016; Kost et al., 2018). AOrganizations are in a constant state of flux, making transformations an inevitable aspect of their evolution and adaptation (By, 2005; Kotter, 1995). Transformations in organizations take many forms. These include sustainability transformations intended to make organizations more sustainable and fit for the future (Bansal, 2005; Corbett & Mellouli, 2017; Kim et al., 2017; Robertson & Barling, 2013). Additionally, transformations can affect day-to-day work and impact working practices (Orlikowski, 2002; Watson-Manheim et al., 2002, 2012). On the one hand, this enables more flexible working conditions through the introduction of hybrid work, for instance (Halford, 2005). On the other hand, new digital transformations, such as platform work (Deng et al., 2016; Deng & Joshi, 2016; Kittur et al., 2013; Kost et al., 2018), allow organizations to outsource work. Platform work allows users to work completely flexibly and organize their working day according to their needs (Deng et al., 2016; Deng & Joshi, 2016; Kost et al., 2018). A distinction can be made between different types of platforms. There are platforms that require physical labor, such as Uber (Duggan et al., 2020; Möhlmann et al., 2021), where transportation trips can be booked, or DoorDash, where food is delivered (Griesbach et al., 2019). Furthermore, there are entirely virtual online platforms. These include freelancing platforms such as Topcoder or Upwork, where workers advertise their profiles for jobs such as web design (Howcroft & Bergvall-Kåreborn, 2019; Shafiei Gol et al., 2019; Taylor & Joshi, 2019). They are evaluated by their clients and paid according to their work performance. There is also another type of platform with very low entry barriers: micro-task crowdsourcing platforms (Bush & Balven, 2021; Deng et al., 2016; Deng & Joshi, 2016; Wong et al., 2020). Here, people can perform currently posted tasks without prior application and receive a small remuneration (Deng et al., 2016).
Digital transformations in the workplace change work processes and practices in the long term (Carroll et al., 2023). For instance, the introduction of hybrid work allows employees to divide their working time between the office and remote locations (Halford, 2005). Studies have shown that this shift has not negatively impacted employee performance, but has actually improved it (Abdullah et al., 2020; Mann & Holdsworth, 2003; Wessel et al., 2021). Thanks to the gain in flexibility, employees are at least as productive as in mere office work. However, this can also have negative effects, for example on the training of new employees or on maintaining social contacts among colleagues (Hafermalz & Riemer, 2020; Weritz et al., 2022).
Another transformation changing organizations, particularly day-to-day work, is the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) (Strich et al., 2021). AI encompasses a range of technologies that aim to mimic human cognitive processes or learn independently to solve problems (Asatiani, Malo, et al., 2021; Benbya et al., 2021; Berente et al., 2021). AI differs from previous technologies in terms of its self-learning nature, its (partial) autonomy in decision-making, and its opacity (Asatiani, Malo, et al., 2021; Barredo Arrieta et al., 2020). A special type of AI in use is generative AI (GAI). GAI is a model capable of creating apparently new content such as texts, codes, images, etc. (Brynjolfsson et al., 2023; Susarla et al., 2023). GAI applications like ChatGPT and Bard have quickly gained a large user base due to their easy accessibility, applicability, and versatility (Alavi et al., 2024; Kowalczyk et al., 2023). In addition to private use, GAI is utilized in various work processes across different professions (Benbya et al., 2024; Brynjolfsson et al., 2023), benefiting employees and organizations by improving the quality and efficiency of work (Brynjolfsson et al., 2023; Jia et al., 2024).
In my dissertation, I explore these various types of transformation. Thereby, I contribute to a dynamic field and demonstrate how transformations in organizations can have a lasting impact on work processes. I have approached this multifaceted topic in a total of four studies.…

